from the album
Departure
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad written by Jesse
McCartney and Ryan Tedder produced for British singer Leona
Lewis's debut album,
Spirit. The song is the album's lead single (Lewis's
official second single following "A Moment Like This"),
released in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in
October 2007. "Bleeding Love" became the best-selling single of
2007 in the United Kingdom, and, since the single's release, it
has become a major international hit as the best-selling single
of 2008. The single has reached number one in 34 countries,
including the UK, Japan, and the United States. This is the
second song to achieve this feat after "Candle in the Wind".
The video aired on 17 October 2007, and was uploaded to popular
video-sharing website YouTube on the same day, where it has
garnered over 120 million views.
The track has sold over 3,370,000 digital downloads in the
United States alone, and was the best selling single there in
2008. It was named the 17th most successful song in the US from
2000 to 2009, on the
BillboardHot 100 Songs of the Decade. The song achieved
a similar feat in the United Kingdom where it was the
best-selling single of 2007.
Bleeding Lovehas sold more than 9 million copies
worldwide as a single putting it in the top 5 selling songs of
the decade., "Bleeding Love" has charted within the UK top 100
singles chart in three different years, in 2007 it peaked at
#1, 2008 at #2 and 2009 at #97. "Bleeding Love" was nominated
for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at
the 51st Grammy Awards.
In December 2006, Lewis won the third series of British
reality singing contest,
The X Factor, her prize being a £1 million recording
contract with Sony BMG, of which Simon Cowell is an A&R
executive. Cowell also mentored Lewis on the show. Cowell
wanted Lewis's debut album to be an "incredible record" of
original material, using some of the world's best record
producers and songwriters.
Meanwhile, in February 2007, OneRepublic frontman Ryan
Tedder and pop singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney had written
the song "Bleeding Love" for McCartney's third studio album,
Departure. However, his record label, Hollywood Records,
did not like the song. Tedder believed it was a "massive" song
and the record company were "out of [their] mind". McCartney
wanted to keep it for himself as he had a personal attachment
to the song, but Tedder realised it would not work for him.
Despite his own reality TV background, Tedder had previously
made the decision not to work with contestants from the singing
competition
American Idol, but he had not heard of
The X Factor, and on being shown a website about Lewis,
he thought that "her voice just sounded unreal," saying that
"from a writer's perspective, this girl — with or without a TV
show — has one of the best voices I've ever heard." On hearing
that Cowell was looking for songs for Lewis's debut album,
Tedder rearranged "Bleeding Love", changed the key and tailored
it to suit her voice. He pitched the song to Cowell, who said
it was "the one".
"Bleeding Love" is a pop song with R&B undertones set in
the key of F major. It moves at 104 bpm and is set in 4/4 time.
The album version runs for four minutes and twenty-two seconds
and the radio edit runs for four minutes and one second. Lewis
performs (Bb
5) during the bridge and the final chorus, and (C4)
during each pre-chorus. The range of the song for her version
is 1.75 octaves, from C4-Bb5. "Bleeding Love" is constructed in
the common verse-chorus-bridge song pattern. It employs a
church organ which is audible throughout the song until the
bridge. Synthesized strings are also prominent throughout the
song, which intermittently integrates wood block percussion
throughout the track. A heavy, distorted marching band-like
drum loop backs the song. The song employs an interesting yet
subtle harmonic shift beginning at the bridge. A harmonic shift
or harmonic variety generally identifies most song bridges.
What is special in "Bleeding Love" is that the turn around from
the common I, VI, IV, V (F, Dm, Bb, C) progression used
exclusively up to the bridge for both verses and choruses
shifts to focus on the relative minor: VI, IV, I/V, V (Dm, Bb,
F/C, C). The darker quality of superimposing the second half of
the verse, as well as the final chorus over this VI chord
progression, in addition to resolving the song on this relative
minor, enhances the intensity of the pain and pathos of the
song.
McCartney wrote the song about his long-term girlfriend, and
said: "I kept thinking about being in love so much that it
hurts. I was away from my girlfriend for four months at the
time and I really wanted to [quit] and fly home. I was so in
love that it was painful. It was like bleeding, it cut me
open." The song refers to someone in a relationship who is
extremely blinded by love. Regardless of the numerous warnings
from her friends and the fact that she is emotionally hurt by
her lover, she continues to love him and accepts the pain.
Metaphorically, this is represented in him "cutting her open".
However, all she can do is "bleed love" for him.
The song's first radio play was on the BBC Radio 1 Chart
Show on 16 September 2007, and was quickly followed by an
online exclusive streaming by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
It was reported that over 1.5 million people listened to the
song online. The song was also Scott Mills's record of the week
from Monday 24 September to Friday 28 September.
Lewis went on a two-day regional UK radio tour to promote
the single and album on 11 and 12 October 2007. This was
followed by an appearance on
This Morningon 15 October. Lewis performed the song live
on the fourth series of
The X Factoron 20 October 2007, and also made
appearances on several other TV and radio shows such as T4,
GMTV and
Loose Women.
Lewis also performed the song at the Festival della canzone
italiana on 29 February 2008, and on German entertainment show
Wetten, dass..?on 1 March 2008.
Lewis made her US television debut on
The Oprah Winfrey Show, on 17 March 2008, where she sang
"Bleeding Love". She has also performed on
Good Morning Americaon 4 April 2008,
Live With Regis and Kellyon 8 April 2008,
Jimmy Kimmel Live,
The Ellen DeGeneres Showon 11 April 2008, and
The Tyra Banks Showon 17 April 2008. Lewis performed the
song live on the seventh series of
American Idolon Wednesday 23 April 2008.
Critical reaction to the song was mostly positive, with
entertainment website Showbiz Spy describing it as "emotionally
fuelled", saying, "this track perfectly showcases Leona's
impressive vocal prowess and from the moment she opens her
mouth we are instantly reminded about her amazing voice,
capable of heart stopping intensity and a playful light touch."
Digital Spy's review of the song gave it four stars out of
five, saying it is "easily the best single to be released by an
X Factorstar," and describing it as "a brilliantly smart
pop record, managing to offer the lovelorn balladry that Lewis'
X Factorfans are no doubt craving, while also suggesting
a hint of street cred in the form of some beefy, vaguely modish
beats." It came second in Digital Spy's Top 20 Singles of 2007
announced on 31 December.
However, BBC America's reviewer expressed that "the
inventive percussion can't stop "Bleeding Love" from sounding
dated, like filler on some long-lost, late '90s Mariah Carey
album. It's one of those mid-tempo numbers — too slow for the
club, too fast for the foxtrot. Actually, with its marching
band drum beat, it sounds as much like Gwen Stefani's
"Hollaback Girl" as a ballad can." The critic continues to say,
"On to the positive: Lewis wisely restrains her vocals, never
devolving into those vocal acrobatics that have historically
plagued Christina Aguilera."
Billboard's review by Singles Review Editor Chuck Taylor
for "Bleeding Love", the first ahead of the song's release in
the United States, stated it was "a colossal and timeless
debut", going on to say "not only a one-listen harmonic
show-stopper, it is also hip, soulful, beat-rippling and an
undeniable vocal tour de force."
The Village Voicedescribed the song as a "perfectly
devised emo-pop machine ... the old Mariah is jealous right
now."
"Bleeding Love" has earned Lewis numerous awards and
nominations. In December 2007, "Bleeding Love" won The Record
of the Year and the award for Best Track in the Virgin Media
Music Awards 2007. In January 2008, the song was nominated for
the British Single award at the 2008 BRIT Awards. Although the
award was won by Take That's "Shine", it was announced that
"Bleeding Love" had received the second highest number of
public votes. The massive success of "Bleeding Love" earned
Lewis the music award at Britain's Best 2008, which was aired
on ITV1 on Friday 23 May 2008. On 3 December 2008, the song was
nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal
Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
Rolling Stonemagazine ranked the song 25th in the list
of The 100 Best Singles of 2008. In April 2009, Tedder and
McCartney were awarded with the Song of the Year Award at the
26th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards for writing "Bleeding
Love".
"Bleeding Love" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number
one on 28 October 2007. With "Bleeding Love" reaching number
one, Lewis became the first contestant from
The X Factorto achieve two UK number-one singles. Its
seven week run at number one was also the longest by a single
from a UK female solo artist in chart history.
In Australia, "Bleeding Love" debuted at number nine on the
Australian ARIA Singles Chart on 24 December 2007, and on 21
January 2008, topped the chart making Lewis the first artist to
come from a British reality music talent show to top the
Australian charts, and the first British act to reach number
one on the ARIA Singles Chart since Sandi Thom's "I Wish I Was
a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" in early 2007. On 10
February 2008, the single received a platinum certification,
with sales of over 70,000. In New Zealand, Lewis became the
first British female solo artist to have a number one single
since the Sugababes topped the chart in January 2006; it stayed
at number one for five weeks. It also reached number one in
Switzerland, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the United States, the single's digital release on 18
December 2007 led to nearly 6,000 legal downloads of the song.
As the song was added to song rotations throughout the country,
increased digital sales of the single led to the song's debut
on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 11. The
song officially debuted on the Hot 100 on 1 March 2008 at
number 85. The song became Lewis' first U.S. top ten hit, and
reached #1 on
Billboards Hot 100 chart three separate times, each for
a one-week run. It also hit #1 on subsidiary charts, including
Hot Digital Songs , and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, where it
spent 52 weeks.
Lewis is the third female artist from the UK to have a
number one hit with a debut U.S. single, following Petula Clark
with "Downtown" (1965) and Sheena Easton with "Morning Train
(Nine to Five)" (1981).
The song has sold over 3 million in U.S. digital
downloads.
"Bleeding Love"'s U.S. chart run was atypical. After
reaching number one for a week, it slipped to number four, rose
to number two the next week, reclaimed the top spot on the
BillboardHot 100 for another week, was succeeded by Lil
Wayne's "Lollipop", and then returned to the number one slot,
this time for two weeks. In doing so, it became just the second
single to have three separate turns atop the Hot 100; Chic's
"Le Freak" had done this January 1979, and the pattern has
since happened twice more. During this time, the parent album
Spiritdebuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making
Lewis the first solo British artist in 18 years to
simultaneously top both the
Billboardalbums and singles charts. "Bleeding Love"
spent twenty consecutive weeks in the Top Ten of the Billboard
Hot 100, including ten weeks in the top two slots. On the
Billboard End of Decade Chart, Bleeding Love reached #17,
beating out songs from artists such as Rihanna, Katy Perry and
Lady GaGa.
The song also reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100
dated 5 April 2008. In Spain, the single reached number two on
the Spanish Singles Chart by PROMUSICAE. It was certificated
Platinum with sales over 40,000 units. "Bleeding Love" was a
hit on radio stations around the world, reaching number one in
the airplay charts of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany,
France, Australia, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Latin
America, Estonia and Japan. In the Greek Airplay Chart, it
reached number two. In Italy the song peaked at number 2 on the
FIMI singles chart based only on digital downloads; instead it
peaked at number 1 on the Italian Musica&Dischi singles
chart, which is based on digital downloads and CD single sales,
for 13 non-consecutive weeks.
"Bleeding Love" was released in the United Kingdom in
physical format on 22 October 2007, when it sold over 66,000
copies, and topped the UK iTunes Store chart. It was reported
to be outselling Take That's "Rule the World" by three-to-one
in chain store Woolworths, and Britney Spears' "Gimme More" by
ten-to-one. "Bleeding Love" had sold over 126,000 copies by the
end of Thursday 25 October, and over 150,000 copies by the end
of Friday 26 October. It went on to sell 218,805 copies in its
first week, gaining the biggest one-week sales in 2007, a feat
it maintained until "When You Believe" by Leon Jackson was
released in December 2007, and outselling the rest of the top
five singles combined. It had sold around 107,000 downloads and
112,000 CD singles.
In its second and third weeks on sale the single sold
158,370 copies, and 111,978 copies respectively, bringing the
total sales to 489,153 and making "Bleeding Love" the biggest
selling single of 2007 after just three weeks of release. It
stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for a total of seven
weeks, and in the top three for a further four weeks. By the
end of 2007 the single had sold a total of 788,000 copies and
was the biggest selling single of the year. It was the first
time a single by a UK female solo artist had topped the end of
year singles sales chart in the 55 year history of the official
charts. "Bleeding Love" was certified gold by the British
Phonographic Industry on 9 November 2007, and platinum on 18
January 2008. Currently, it has stayed in the Top 75 for twenty
weeks, nineteen of those in the Top 40.
The song has sold 940,000 copies in the UK as stated by the
Official UK Charts Company. It also has sold over 4 million
copies in the U.S. alone. As of 19 September 2008, the single
has been certified Gold and Platinum and 3x platinum in the US,
and Double Platinum in Australia.
There are two music videos for "Bleeding Love". The first
was directed by Melina Matsoukas and was filmed in Los Angeles.
It is set in a mock apartment block and features four
storylines about couples in different stages of relationships:
"The video is extremely emotional and shows everything from
first love and unbridled passion to heartbreak, loss and
anger." Lewis stated that it is "real colourful, very funky,
has lots of extras and I get to really perform." Melina
explained her meaning of the video in an interview on MTV's
Making the Video, saying that the water in the video is
a metaphor for the tenants' love problems, as if the apartments
are bleeding love. For the video, Lewis wore a £100,000 Dolce
& Gabbana crystal-encrusted dress, which weighed
40 pounds (18 kg). The international version of the
video was first posted to popular video sharing website YouTube
on 17 October 2007.
Lewis filmed a second video in New York City for the US
release of "Bleeding Love". The treatment for the video was
written by Ryan Tedder, and centres on a storyline involving
Lewis arguing with her boyfriend, played by model Nicholas
Lemons. It was directed by Jessy Terrero. The video premiered
in the United States on 29 January 2008 on Yahoo! Music, and
was uploaded to YouTube on 30 January 2008. Its television
debut was on 4 February 2008 on VH1 as part of their "You
Oughta Know" campaign.
The international version of the music video was nominated
for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. The US
version was number one on the VH1 Year End Top 40.